VIETNAM - North Recommendations

Here are a few things NOT in the guide books that we HIGHLY recommend.

VIETNAM - North

HANOI
The 411 - A bustling capital city bursting with energy + noise. The winding lanes of the Old Quarter and surrounds allow for endless exploration + people watching. Dorothy, you aren't in Kansas anymore!
Sleep - The "Old Quarter" is a good base for exploration and has a nice vibe. Here are a few places we found that give you a good bargain for less cash than most @ $8/2p with A/C, Frig + Bathroom - Prince III (65 Hang Cot) + Hai Anh Plaza Hotel (30 Hang Cot) and are out of the main tourist hubub.
Drink - Don't leave town without taking advantage of the Bia Hoi, available on many corners in the Old Quarter for 12-24 cents a glass. They serve up decent + cheap food too. Try the sauteed bamboo shoots or morning glories with garlic. Also, around midnight when all the curbside places have closed, head on over to The Lighthouse - Cool vibe, good tunes + killer riverside location make this a great weekend destination.

HALONG CITY (HON GAI)
The 411 - Skip the tourist scene in Bai Chay for the more authentic one next door. You can easily spend a couple days to a week exploring this industrial port city complete with fish market and a bay full of karsts. Make sure to head up to the top of the one looming over town for unbelievable sunset views (look for the flag + ask directions to the stairs leading up).
Sleep - Check out the string of Ngha Nghi's (Guesthouses) lining the street at the east end of the market, right off the waterfront. Cheap rates, nice digs + AMAZING views.

BAI TU LONG BAY
The 411 - There is a daily ferry from Hon Gai to the island of Quan Lan (5 hrs.) where you can easily lose yourself in the mellow, island rhythm. Vacant, white-sand beaches are easily accessed by bike or moto and the locals are super-friendly. This is a great pick for couples or loners wanting to get away from it all. There are a few guesthouse options in town, and we recommend Link for it's family atmosphere + little balcony overlooking the sea. From Quan Lan it's a short ferry (3 hrs.) to Van Don island (Cai Rong Pier), a scenic fishing port just off the mainland. Have one of the local ladies row you out to the karst in the bay at sunset and climb to the top.

NINH BINH
The 411 - A nice stop only a couple hours south of Hanoi. Scenic area of karsts set amidst rice paddies and small villages makes for several great days exploring by moto. Be sure to take the 20k back road from Tam Coc and stop for a climb up to the pagoda on the hill (you'll see it) for killer views.
Sleep - Queen Mini has clean rooms that are walkable to the best stuff in town AND they rent motos.
Eat - Evenings at the string of Bia Hoi stalls on the waterside is the place to be for 15 cent drafts. The patio restaurant at the hotel across the street serves up tasty food for reasonable prices too if you bargain.

DONG HOI
The 411 - Not a bad stop on the north-south route, but not worth stopping in and of itself. If you DO find yourself here there are huge expanses of beach both north + south of town worth spending the day at, and the "Dry" cave at Phang Nga is quite impressive.
Sleep - Mau Hong Hotel is friendly, located on the scenic river + rents motos.
Eat - We are officially out of the land of cold beer and have only been able to scout out a handful of Bia Hoi (draft beer) stalls for the ONLY thing that's not served over ice. Maybe our livers will thank us later.

HUE (We're back!)
The 411 - Lots more tourists now (July) than there were here before (February), but it's still a nice, relatively chill city with a healthy life of it's own outside of tourism. It's like an overgrown village with a park-like setting. The countryside around here is picturesque, dotted with the tombs of old emperors, rice paddies, shrimp farms + villages, all of which are easily explored by bicycle or moto. If you want to get a little farther afield, the ocean is only a short ride away though the beaches aren't the most pristine. We spent 3-1/2 weeks here and STILL hated to leave.
Sleep - Khuyen Ngoc Guesthouse (28/42 Nguyen Cong Tru) is hidden on an alley near the tourist hood and has a very neighborhoody vibe. Good value for your money too.
Eat - Enzo's New York Pizza makes authentic Italian ciabatta + pizzas - No longer here :( Cho Dong Ba has proven to be THE market to end all. Even after 8 months in Southeast Asia, this STILL has the best selection of tropicals fruits + produce, pickled veggies + other local condiments, fresh noodles, and vegetarian (chay) fake meat products to be found. All at low prices. A tip for vegetarians - By self catering with fake-meats from the Com Chay ladies (try the one that looks like stuffing with lemongrass), fresh rice noodles + tasty produce, you'll eat better than ANYTHING you can find in a restaurant - Guaranteed.


SUGGESTED 2-3 WEEK ITINERARY
The country is too big + interesting to tackle in one shot, much better is to break it in half. Here's our recommendation for the North - Fly in to Hanoi (2-4 days) checking out the City. Bus to Hon Gai (2-4 days) for a glimpse of the commercial fishing scene and spectacular Ha Long Bay views. Book a day tour of the Bay if so inclined, or continue off the the tourist trail by local ferry to Quan Lan Island for several days of quiet village life and playing on deserted, white-sand beaches (3-6 days). Onwards by local ferry to Van Don island to check out the picturesque scene at Cai Rong Pier (1-2 days), before returning by bus to Hon Gai and continuing to Hanoi. Time permitting, a couple days cruising by moto around Ninh Binh or a trip up to SaPa would be memorable. Hue is also recommended, but you'd have to have time for an overnight train (16 hours each way). Remember to allow a half to a full day for transport between each city. See "Vietnam - South" for more...

APPROXIMATE COSTS (For Low Budget Travel)
Note: Here more than anywhere, all prices are highly negotiable. It is not uncommon for foreigners to be charged 2-3 times the normal price for any + everything. Prices listed reflect hard bargaining and are about as cheap as you can possibly get by here. If you haven't been paying attention, global tourism is on a HUGE rise now, and Vietnam's economy is the second fastest in the world. As a result, we've seen dramatic changes in just a few months time of businesses coming + going and prices rising, so this information is likely to be soon outdated.
Room - $4-10/2p (One of best values for your money of any country I've visited)
Meal - $2-4/pp
Coffee - .25 - .50
Beer - .12 - .50
Moto/Bicycle - $3-5/.60
Visa - $35/ 30 Day + $25 for U.S. citizens

Visa Info
Must be applied for in advance, either from capitals of neighboring countries or at your home embassy. The standard issue is for a 30-day Tourist Visa, but you can also request a 90-day Business Visa in advance for the cost of a 30-day + 2 week extension. Once in country 2 week to 1 month extensions are easily available in HCMC, Dalat, Hue, Hoi An, Danang + Hanoi. A maximum stay of 90 stays is possible at which time you must exit + re-enter the country. Check the "link" for more info.

What's to Like?
The feeling of stepping back in time, beautiful scenery, fantastic produce markets, moto/bicycle culture, THE best coffee + people interaction.

What's Not?
Less-than-pristine coastline, more difficult language + people interaction (they're a mixed bag). Be prepared to bargain for everything.

Will you Starve to Death?
A big surprise is that this is a VERY easy country for vegetarians as many people here follow Buddhist principles of vegetarianism twice a month. This means that there are specific veggie restaurants in every town and we never had a problem finding them with the magic words "Doy un chay". As an added bonus, if you're willing to self-cater, you can buy a myriad variety of fixings for salads from the markets, including - cooked rice noodles, pickled + raw, pre-shredded veggies, multiple varieties of tofu + delicious soy or gluten meats (including salmon + chicken), etc. Chowmein, burgers, pasta + pizza appear on many menus and it's sometimes quite good. Look before ordering. Vietnamese sandwiches with pate or cheese + veg on baguette are available on almost any street corner, as is grilled chicken or fish on a stick. Pho (noodle soup) is the traditional breakfast, but you can hit the street carts the evening prior for tasty sesame, donut-like pastries or coconut tarts to go with your morning cup of nectar. The coffee here may take a long time to drip, and the portions are small, but it's not your typical cup of coffee. Do yourself a favor and try it black (Cafe Dam), without milk, sugar or ice. Sip + savor!

Will you Dig It?
Another love or hate. Once you get past the fact that you need to learn your numbers and bargain for everything there's alot to love. Not recommended for a first-timer, but not SO difficult if you're game for an adventure. Alot of exotic bang for your buck. Even after 4 months it continues to surprise + enchant us. I personally put this one on my "Places I could live" list.

Books to Read
There are not so many places to trade books here, so your best to bring them with you if you're not stopping in Bangkok or Phnom Penh first. Dispatches by Micheal Herr is a fantastic Vietnam War read (even for chicks), as is The Girl in the Picture by Denise Chong. On the lighter side, A Cooks Tour by Anthony Bourdain + The Book of Salt by Monique Truong deal with Vietnam from a gourmand's perspective.

Check the "link" for photos from Vietnam